BlueFloat and China's Dajin eye floating wind supply chain alliance
Madrid-based offshore wind developer has been talking to supply chain and logistics companies around the globe
BlueFloat Energy has signed a memorandum of understanding with Chinese yard group Dajin Heavy Industry in what the pair hope to be the first step toward forging a strategic supply chain partnership that can help underpin the Madrid-based company's lofty plans for offshore wind.
Under the terms of the newly signed agreement, BlueFloat Energy said the two companies will focus their work on "technical innovation, supply chain enhancement, and decarbonisation".
"Joint initiatives will include identifying the most competitive floating foundation designs and exploring new technologies for improved performance and cost-efficiency. The partnership will work to streamline fabrication and deployment processes for floating wind foundations, enhancing production capacity to meet growing demand globally," BlueFloat said in a statement released today (Thursday).
BlueFloat's 43GW pipeline of potential projects includes 27GW of floating offshore wind.
The company counts the UK, France and Italy among its core markets, but has been working on entrance plans and supply chain development across four different continents.
BlueFloat described the signing of the MoU with Dajin as "the first in a series of upcoming agreements with key supply chain players in different markets, which reinforces our commitment to supply chain development and resilience y across the offshore wind sector".
A "strategic alliance" signed with Euroports in March, covered cooperation in ports infrastructure and supply chain for offshore wind.
BlueFloat also stated in its release that both companies were committed to reducing the carbon footprint of steel production and other critical components of the supply chain.
“We are excited to partner with Dajin in this new chapter towards a resilient and sustainable supply chain for floating offshore wind,” said Carlos Martin, CEO of BlueFloat Energy.
“By combining BlueFloat Energy’s expertise in offshore wind development with Dajin’s extensive experience in the fabrication and construction of steel structure products for the offshore wind industry, we are well positioned to make significant strides in decarbonising the energy sector and creating a robust, sustainable supply chain.”
The BlueFloat statement also referred to the pair's "shared commitment to advancing renewable energy through cutting-edge solutions that will support the deployment of floating offshore wind projects at a global scale.
Jin Xin, chair and owner of Dajin commented: “Floating projects are the future of offshore wind power, and the mass production of floating foundations is also imperative. Dajin has made in-depth deployment in regards facility planning, manufacturing technology, and talents reservation.
"Combining with BlueFloat Energy's extensive expertise in global floating offshore wind farms, this powerful alliance is poised to vigorously propel the global development of offshore renewable energy.”
Backed by US private equity firm Quantum Capital Partners, BlueFloat Energy is broadly focused on Europe, Australia and Japan, but its interest extends to less mature offshore wind markets such as Colombia, the Philippines and New Zealand.
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